The 17-year-old accused of shooting San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall during a botched attempted armed robbery last weekend was arraigned in juvenile court Wednesday, the day after he was charged with various felonies, including attempted murder.
Judge Roger C. Chan read the charges against the teenager, who because he is a minor is being referred to only by his initials. The charges include personal and willful use of a firearm, assault with a semi-automatic firearm and second-degree attempted robbery,
The young man, who police said lives in Tracy, about 70 miles east of San Francisco, sat facing forward through the brief proceedings, next to his court-appointed public defender, Bob Dunlap. His parents sat in the front row of the pews reserved for the public, a few meters away from their son. His mother needed a Spanish translator.
District Assistant Atty. David Mitchell said members of Pearsall’s family also attended the hearing, although he did not specify which relatives or whether they attended online or in person.
Neither the suspect nor his family have made a public comment. While taking questions from the media after the hearing, Dunlap said the teenager — who he described as a high school senior — and his parents were “very sorry” about the shooting.
“It was very, very difficult for him,” Dunlap said. “He assured me, and from what I know, that this was completely out of character for him.”
Pearsall, 23, was walking back to her car alone after shopping at a luxury store in San Francisco’s Union Square district on Saturday afternoon when, according to police, a gunman confronted Pearsall and tried to rob her, targeting her Rolex watch. A struggle ensued, and the attacker’s gun fired several times, San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said during a news conference on Friday evening. Pearsall and the attacker were shot.
The bullet struck Pearsall in the chest and exited his back, missing his vital organs, according to a social media post by his mother. He was treated at San Francisco General Hospital and released Sunday.
The suspect was shot in the left arm and treated at the same hospital, according to police. Dunlap said his client was bandaged but is recovering.
Dunlap said it was too early to answer questions about why the teenager was in San Francisco, or his motive. Dunlap said he has read the police report on the incident, but has not yet been able to review video of the shooting that investigators collected from area surveillance cameras, which he believes will shed more light on what happened.
He added that there were “extenuating circumstances” believed to have contributed to the case, but did not elaborate. He also said he wasn’t sure the attempted murder charge would “stop the daylight.”
A probation officer said during the hearing that the suspect has a pending juvenile court case in San Joaquin County. Officials have not released details on the case, although Dunlap said his client will be transferred back to San Joaquin County after the San Francisco proceedings are completed.
San Francisco District Atty. Brooke Jenkins has not said whether she will try the teenager in adult court. That would require a judge’s decision that “essentially means the juvenile system is not going to be equipped to rehabilitate these minors,” Jenkins said.
Dunlap said it was inappropriate for the case to be transferred from juvenile court.
“I think my client should be treated as a juvenile. He is a juvenile,” Dunlap said.
Pearsall, who played for Arizona State and the University of Florida, was drafted by the 49ers in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. He was sidelined with a shoulder injury during the NFL preseason.
The 49ers have placed Pearsall on the non-football injured list, meaning he will miss at least the first four regular season games. Team officials said they expect him to make a full recovery.
